Kresimir Jurak, director of the Confucius Institute at the University  of Zagreb, has a clear mission: to promote Chinese culture in Croatia  and foster exchange and understanding between the two countries.

A well-known expert, Jurak has extensive experience of living and  studying in China. After more than 40 visits and nearly three years of  studying in the country, he has gained a deep understanding of Chinese  culture.

Before becoming director of the Confucius Institute in May 2012,  Jurak taught Chinese history at the University of Zagreb's Sinology  Department.

He says he is proud that the Confucius Institute has become a leading teacher of Chinese language and culture.

Currently, the institute has 45 teaching locations in eight cities in  Croatia employing 32 teachers and was once the biggest of its kind in  Europe.

Since its founding in 2012, it has taught thousands of Croatian  students through its Chinese language programs and engaged hundreds of  more through cultural initiatives such as the Chinese Bridge  competition, a Chinese language proficiency competition, a Dragon Boat  race, and cultural workshops.

"I think we help bring Chinese culture to Croatia, but also build bridges between Croatia and China in many areas," he says.

Jurak emphasizes the importance of the institute's mission to foster deeper cultural exchange and mutual understanding.

"For me, connecting people, cultures and languages is essential. The  more we understand each other, the better friends we become. And friends  don't fight; they don't need wars. We need friendship more than ever."

Looking ahead, Jurak says the institute will focus on digital  transformation and organize more cultural events in Croatia. It plans to  incorporate Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality into its language  programs to enhance the learning experience.

He also sees an opportunity in the tourism sector by helping  Croatia's tourism professionals attract more Chinese visitors and  tapping into the country's enormous outbound travel market.

"There are a lot of opportunities for the future development of the institute," Jurak says.